Undead
Zombies and other forms of the undead were the reanimated dead bodies of those unfortunate enough to have died in the Shadowlands or who have been summoned up by some maho-tsukai. Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 197 A kansen inhabited the skull and controlled a body whose soul had fled. Bearers of Jade, p. 130 Abilities Zombies were mindless automatons, and have no will of their own. They move slowly and deliberately, but had unnatural strength in their limbs, and could tear a man apart if given the time. While under control of the sorcerer who created them, they could be made to follow another. Limbs of the undead would still be active, even if severed, and will slither after the zombie, attempting to attack anyone within reach, though they could not be re-attached. If the torso of a zombie was severed, it would continue clawing at its opponent, but a decapitated zombie would crumple to the ground and dissolve into a black ooze by the next morning. Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition p. 283 This was discovered during the first raise of Iuchiban, in the Battle of Stolen Graves. Way of the Lion, p. 107 Types There were three major types of zombies: those which formed naturally from the corpses of samurai who died in the Shadowlands; those animated and controlled by Tainted artifacts, such as Porcelain Masks; and those formed by maho spells as Animate the Dead, known as Undead Revenant. Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 330 Spell-Made Spell-made zombies were deliberately created by a Maho-tsukai, who gave a mystically made porcelain mask, which, if removed, or destroyed, also destroyed the zombie. The intellect of these creatures was limited, but they could understand simple commands. They obeyed only their controlling shugenja, and did not act except on his command. Clan War: Shadowlands Army Expansion, p. 9 Porcelain Masked The true porcelain mask fetishes used by the Bloodspeakers focused dark energies which created zombies who would obey the mask's enchanter, but also caused them to understand more complex instruction. They had a self-preservation instinct, and would fight to defend themselves without specific orders. Plague Zombies Plague Zombies had body tissues and organs which carried stigma of the Wasting Disease, or any other similar magical plague disease. Undead Revenant Revenants were a more powerful form of zombie who did not continue to rot, their sinews and muscles retained enough tone to allow them to move almost as quickly as they did in life, and they also possessed a certain animal intelligence. Military undead Zombie troops wore magic Porcelain Masks allowing them to march with synchronization. Zombie Troops (Imperial flavor) Skeletons A skeleton was merely a zombie with nothing left to rot. Skeletal archers were widely used during the first uprising of Iuchiban's hordes. Bloodspeakers, p. 26 See Also * Plague Zombies * Hyakuhei * Gaki * Undead/Meta * Skeletal Archers/CW Meta * Skeletal Troops/CW Meta * Undead/CW Meta * Zombie Troops/CW Meta External Links * Zombie Troops (Imperial) * Plague Zombies (Shadowlands) * Skeletal Archers (Shadowlands) Category:Creatures of the Shadowlands Category:Articles with Pictures